Bismarck goalie Ullan makes NCAA DI commitment

January 17, 2018

By Paul Teeple, Bismarck Bobcats

The Bismarck Bobcats of the North American Hockey League (NAHL) are pleased to announce that goaltender Ryan Ullan has committed to play NCAA Division I hockey at Northern Michigan University starting with the 2019-2020 season.

“It’s a great feeling to be committed to play Division I hockey, especially for an up-and-coming program like Northern,” expressed Ullan, in his first year with the Bobcats. “It’s also a great weight off my shoulders, and having that commitment lets me focus even more energy on doing my part to get the Bobcats back to the playoffs and make a run at the Robertson Cup.”

In 21 appearances, the Hibbing, Minn., native has compiled a 10-8-2 record with a 2.59 GAA and a .913 SV%.

To start the 2017-18 season, Ullan has appeared on both NHL Central Scouting “Players to Watch” lists for the upcoming 2018 NHL Draft—just the second time an Bobcat player has stayed on the Central Scouting list after September (Zach Yon, 2013-14).

“Ryan is going to be a great goaltender: he’s big and square to pucks and tracks them very well,” lauded Bobcats head coach and general manager Layne Sedevie, a former Division I goalie himself at Bemidji State. “The best part about Ryan is his work ethic; when you combine that with his size, talent and technical proficiency and you know that Northern just signed a big-time goaltender.”

Ullan is the third 2017-18 Bobcat to decide on Northern Michigan—joining Grant Johnson and Tanner Vescio—and the seventh current or former Bobcat to commit to a Division I program this year, along with Jared Resseguie (Denver), Alex Trombley (Ohio State) and 2016-17 alumnus Tristan Ashbrook (RPI).

The second-year junior netminder credited the on-and-off-ice atmosphere in Marquette with his decision to be a Wildcat.

“When I toured Northern, I fell in love with the beautiful campus and the great dorms they have,” explained the 17-year-old backstop. “And then you look at the staff, and [Wildcats head coach] Grant Potulny has won at every level—even getting a gold medal as an assistant at World Juniors last year—and he’s building the program in a great direction.

“It will be exciting to get there and be a part of really getting Northern Michigan back to the heights of Division I.”